Another weekend.
Kazehara Tetsu headed straight for the library, as usual.
It was as quiet as ever inside, filled with a comforting sense of calm.
He spotted a familiar figure at a glance.
Shiina Hiyori was sitting at a reading table by the window, a thick book spread open in front of her.
She was completely absorbed in it, her finger moving line by line along the text. Her hair swayed as she gently bobbed her head.
Kazehara Tetsu didn't disturb her. He browsed the nearby shelves, picked out a book, and sat down across from her.
After a long while, Shiina Hiyori finally seemed to return from the world of her book.
She let out a long breath and rubbed her sore eyes.
When she looked up, she noticed Kazehara Tetsu sitting across from her. She had no idea when he'd arrived.
"Ah! Tetsu-kun! When did you get here?" Her face immediately lit up with a delighted smile, and she kept her voice low.
"I've only been here a little while. You looked so engrossed that I didn't want to disturb you." Kazehara Tetsu closed his book and smiled at her.
"No, no, I was just reading so intently that I didn't notice you..."
Shiina Hiyori stuck out her tongue sheepishly. "Oh, right, Tetsu-kun. Thank you so much for recommending that book last time. I learned a lot from it!"
"I'm glad it helped."
Kazehara Tetsu's tone was gentle. "Knowledge grows through sharing."
"Mm-hmm!"
Shiina Hiyori nodded enthusiastically and looked at Kazehara Tetsu. "Tetsu-kun, to show my gratitude... I'd like to invite you to go shopping with me this afternoon. Would you?"
After she said that, she lowered her head nervously, twisting her hands together. It was the first time she'd ever invited a boy out.
Seeing her like that, Kazehara Tetsu chuckled. "Of course. I happen to have a few things to buy, too. It would be my pleasure to have a lovely lady keep me company."
"That's wonderful!" Shiina Hiyori's face brightened with a radiant smile.
They gathered their things and left the library side by side.
The afternoon sun was pleasantly warm. Keyaki Mall was bustling with people, filled with the laid-back cheer unique to weekends.
Shiina Hiyori clearly didn't have much experience with outings like this. She stayed by Kazehara Tetsu's side, curiously taking in everything around her like a child visiting a big city for the first time.
"Come to think of it, Hiyori, do you not come here often?" Kazehara Tetsu asked, as if casually.
"Mm... I spend most of my time at the library. I always feel a little... lost in places with so many people. I don't know what to do."
"Then let's treat today as a chance to get out and experience something new."
Instead of taking her to trendy clothing stores, Kazehara Tetsu led her into a large supermarket selling household goods.
"I need to pick up a few everyday essentials. Feel free to look around, and if there's anything you like, consider it a thank-you gift for my 'shopping consultant.'"
"Huh? No, you don't have to! I'm already happy just to come with you!" Shiina Hiyori hurriedly waved her hands.
Kazehara Tetsu didn't say anything more. He simply pushed the Shopping Cart through the aisles.
He knew exactly what he needed. After a month of use, he had to replenish some everyday essentials.
Just as they reached the corner of an aisle, a familiar figure appeared in front of them without warning.
Kamuro Masumi.
She was standing there alone, holding two different brands of Shampoo and apparently trying to decide which one to choose.
She seemed to notice them, too. The moment her gaze met Kazehara Tetsu's as he pushed the Shopping Cart, her body stiffened.
Then her gaze fell on the petite, adorable Shiina Hiyori beside Kazehara Tetsu, who was looking up at him as she spoke. A profoundly complicated emotion flashed through Kamuro Masumi's purple eyes.
Her gaze was like the fiercest winter wind, making the air around them seem to freeze.
What was that?
"What a coincidence, Tetsu."
Her voice was flat, betraying no emotion.
Shiina Hiyori looked at Kamuro Masumi, who had appeared out of nowhere, then glanced at Kazehara Tetsu beside her, puzzled.
"Tetsu-kun, who is she...?"
"Kamuro Masumi, my classmate."
Kazehara Tetsu's expression didn't change at all as he introduced them naturally. "Kamuro, this is Shiina Hiyori from Class C."
His introduction was brief and formal.
Kamuro Masumi's gaze lingered for half a second on Shiina Hiyori's petite, adorable face, then returned to Kazehara Tetsu.
"Are you two... on a date?" she asked, so bluntly that it was almost offensive.
"No, no!"
Before Kazehara Tetsu could answer, Shiina Hiyori hurriedly waved her hands. "Tetsu-kun and I are just... just ordinary friends! He recommended so many good books to me, so I wanted to thank him by taking him shopping!"
She meant well, but her explanation sounded different to Kamuro Masumi.
"Oh? You call each other so familiarly when you're just ordinary friends?"
Her ambiguous remark instantly made the atmosphere awkward.
Shiina Hiyori didn't know what to do. She turned to Kazehara Tetsu as if asking him for help.
Kazehara Tetsu seemed not to notice the undercurrent between them.
He reached out and casually draped an arm over Kamuro Masumi's shoulder, drawing her to his side. The gesture was so intimate that it was as if he were soothing a pet that had gotten sulky.
"Come on. Don't stand here blocking the aisle."
His voice carried a hint of unmistakable authority. "Since we've run into each other, let's shop together. Hiyori wants to pick up a few things, too."
Kamuro Masumi stiffened for a moment. She instinctively tried to pull away, but Kazehara Tetsu's arm held her in place, leaving no room to resist.
In the end, she let herself lean against Kazehara Tetsu's side.
Under the supermarket's bright lights, the three of them made for an odd sight.
Kazehara Tetsu still had his arm over Kamuro Masumi's shoulder. The unyielding pressure of it came through the thin fabric of her uniform, leaving her rigid body unable to put up any meaningful resistance.
With his other hand, he pushed the Shopping Cart, looking as relaxed as if he were taking a stroll in the park.
Shiina Hiyori stood on the other side of the Shopping Cart, which hid half her petite figure.
She looked from Kazehara Tetsu to the purple-haired girl who had suddenly appeared, radiating an unmistakable stay-away-from-me air. Her big eyes were full of innocent confusion.
As for Kamuro Masumi, she had been forcibly pulled into the group, her body pressed against Kazehara Tetsu's side.
Her gaze moved back and forth between Shiina Hiyori's guileless face and Kazehara Tetsu's nonchalant profile.